The Salt Lake Tribune (March 4, 2011)
One of our legislators recently referred to liberal arts degrees as “degrees to nowhere,” arguing instead for graduating more students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields (“Lawmaker laments ‘degrees to nowhere’,” Tribune, Feb. 4). For Sen. Howard Stephenson, 21st century career opportunities and economic development are dependent on training exclusively in these areas.
Another legislator quoted in the story, Sen. Stuart Reid, said that more lab classes could be offered at the University of Utah if less money went to the social sciences. The U’s president, Michael Young, aptly responded to the legislators’ economic argument from an equally economic perspective: “it’s people taking psychology and history courses that provide the resources to support STEM degrees.”